tkphotomania
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Joined: 21 Mar 2008
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 51
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| Posted: 15 Apr 2011 at 17:46 | IP Logged
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I have just received an email newsletter from Gleim, and thought I
should share with you guys. Some useful info is in it.
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Dr. Gleim and I recently attended the AICPA Review Provider Meeting in
New York City. The following main items were covered:
1. Task-Based Simulations. The topic of the new Task-Based Simulations
was frequently discussed at this year's meeting. Below are the most
salient points that were presented.
a. We received some important clarification about Simulation scoring. The
presenter informed us that each task is equal to the others when scoring
the Simulations. In other words, if there are 6 tasks, each task accounts
for 1/6th of your total Simulation score, regardless of how many
questions each task contains. This is currently how the Gleim Online and
Gleim Simulation Wizards score your Simulations, so no changes to our
system are necessary.
b. We were informed that it is possible for a candidate to receive two
Research tasks in one Simulation testlet. Each Research task will be
graded equally, and candidates who receive two should NOT assume that
one of them is a pretest question.
c. The AICPA assured us that the Authoritative Literature used for the
Simulations is updated at least once a year, but that it could be updated
as often as once a quarter.
d. The presenter mentioned that about 6% of candidates had
unsatisfactory load times - sometimes as long as 20 seconds - for their
simulations. If you experience this delay, just remember that (1) there is
nothing you cando about it, and (2) other candidates are having the same
issue. Prometric is purchasing new equipment to decrease load times for
future exam windows.
2. CBT-e Exam First Quarter Pass Rate. Pass rates for the 1st quarter of
the CBT-e Exam are sharply lower than those of 2010's Q1, with the most
marked difference in Regulation. The comparison is as follows:
AUD
2010 - 47.80%
2011 - 43.88%
Decrease - 3.92%
BEC
2010 - 47.29%
2011 - 42.32%
Decrease - 4.97%
FAR
2010 - 47.81%
2011 - 42.43%
Decrease - 5.38%
REG
2010 - 50.66%
2011 - 41.28%
Decrease - 9.38%
The new Diagnostic Report that can be given to candidates who have
failed a section can also be used as an indicator on performance. It is
important to note that candidates generally need to be "Stronger" in more
than one Content Area to pass the CBT-e Exam. At the meeting, NASBA
reported that in two cases, candidates who were rated as "Comparable" in
all but one Content Area (in which they were rated as "Stronger") received
failing scores.
3. CBT-e Exam Score Release Schedule. It was reiterated that the scores
for the second and third quarters will not be released until the close of
the respective testing window. The exact timeline will be dependent on
the volume of candidates. Fourth quarter scores will initially be released
following the first month of testing with subsequent score releases every
two weeks for the remainder of the window.
4. Changing Professional Landscape That Will Affect the Exam. The AICPA
covered multiple new pronouncements that will likely not be effective
until after 2014. In addition, new fair value and comprehensive income
standards that may be effective as early as 2011 or 2012 were discussed.
As always, they will become testable 6 months after they are effective. As
a test-taker, you should not be distracted by or concerned with how
these changes will affect the CPA Exam content. Let us, your review
provider, worry about that. You can rest assured that our materials will be
consistently updated and will always reflect the currently testable
professional literature.
5. International CPA Exam. We learned the same basic information that I
presented in my Hot Topics on March 4. It was also mentioned that the
NASBA will soon announce which states have and which have not opted to
allow international testers to register with their Board. We were advised to
check the International Testing FAQs often, as it is a regularly updated
document.
All in all, the meeting clarified some important points, expanded on some
new agendas, and left us with the feeling that the CPA Exam is moving in
a positive direction. We will attend each and every one of these meetings
as often as they are held to ensure that we provide you with the most
current information.
__________________
FAR: Passed (Feb. 2011)
AUD: Passed (July 2010)
REG: Passed (July 2010)
BEC: Passed (Nov 2011)
New Hampshire
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Topic: E-mail Newsletter From Gleim
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